Standards Council of Canada

The Innovation Initiative

Standardization Supports Innovation

Innovative Canadian companies are working hard to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Spartan Bioscience has adapted its on-site testing device to detect COVID 19 and is boosting production to identify cases to quickly allow for intervention, to reduce further spread of the virus. SCC has been working with Spartan to lead the development of an international standard for this technology.

Consider standards at the start of your journey towards commercialization

Standards define a benchmark for the design and development of robust innovations. Standards are published specifications that ensure the reliability of materials, products, methods, and services people use. They are established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, such as the Standards Council of Canada. Standards are based on consolidated subject matter expertise to promote optimum community benefits.

InnovationReaping the Benefits

With standardization, Canada’s innovations reach new heights globally and at home. Since standards reflect the views of individuals who develop them, they help innovators shape their industry, access new markets, raise the bar, and create a legacy.

Innovators also achieve commercialization through standardization, allowing them to scale up their companies, reduce development cost, and increase revenue.

  • Drive innovation and improve productivity
  • Influence marketplace rules
  • Secure market access
  • Protect and exploit intellectual property

Innovators can further benefit from the relationship between standards and their intellectual property by participating in standards development. Protected intellectual property can be embedded into standards and enhance a company’s competitive advantage. For more information, check out the IP-standards factsheet.

So how does the Standards Council of Canada help? 

The Innovation Initiative of the Standards Council of Canada guides, facilitates, and collaborates with innovators every step of the way along the path to standardization—both nationally and globally.

We work with Canadian innovators to...

  • Identify the most promising innovations that would benefit from international standardization
  • Build the case internationally as to why Canada should be entrusted with leadership in developing the relevant standards
  • Garner support from key standardization partners and obtain approval for new work item proposals
  • Select and support credible Canadian innovators to be elected as chairs or secretaries of relevant technical committees in order to manage and guide the standards drafting process
  • Support Canadian innovators to better leverage their technology’s intellectual property to influence standards
  • Design supportive international certification and accreditation programmes to facilitate international market access and regulatory compliance once standards are published
  • Engage Canadian regulators to ensure new standards supporting Canadian innovations are referenced in relevant federal, provincial, and territorial regulations and in procurement where appropriate

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